Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner was just one of a fair amount of NBA players that were directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. His own father, David. tested positive for COVID-19, but has since recovered. This was a traumatic experience for Turner, which understandably cast some doubt on his intention to take part in the season restart.
Turner opened up about his experience in a recent Zoom call with media members, and the 24-year-old was very straightforward with how this has altered his own perspective on the pandemic.
“I saw it firsthand and how it affected my family and I couldn't imagine how it's affected other families,” Turner said, via Marc Montieth of NBA.com. “I definitely wasn't a big proponent of playing at first. I still have questions now, but most of the questions have been answered.”
It's not surprising how Turner almost opted out of the bubble. Thankfully for the Pacers, their prized big man has had a change of heart, and will be joining the team when the season kicks off on July 30. It would have been completely understandable if he opted to stay at home to spend more time with his family.
However, Turner ultimately decided that the right thing for him to do at this point is to rejoin his team for the restart. At the end of the day, he is a competitor, and his objectives still remain the same.
“This is what I do for a living,” he said. “It gives me my escape at a time like this. I'm trying to win a championship as well. From that standpoint, I'm all in.”
The Pacers entered the hiatus with a 39-26 record, which is good for the fifth seed in the East. It will interesting to see how far they can go in the playoffs this year, following four consecutive first-round exits.
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